The Business Case Manager creates and maintains a strong business case to justify the necessary investment in a project. This determines whether the project is, and remains, desirable, viable, and achievable.
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Resource Manager G6Business Case Manager EO
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Role summary
Typical role responsibilities
| Responsibility | Detail |
|---|---|
| Business case writing | Coordinates the preparation of business cases by working with key stakeholders to meet deadlines and gather the necessary information. |
| Business case support | Provides guidance to project teams on business case requirements and development by directing them to organisational templates. |
| Business case governance | Helps prepare documents for submission to the appropriate boards and keeps records of allocated actions and their completion. |
| Seeing the bigger picture | Ensures that all relevant organisational factors for change are included in a comprehensive business case. |
| Configuration management | Uses configuration management techniques to keep the business case valid throughout the project lifecycle. |
| Benefits | Engages with stakeholders to document and compile the identified benefits. |
| Stakeholder management | Works with key stakeholders to obtain the specialised information needed to produce business cases. |
| Digital and data | Using digital tools applies data analytics to develop robust business cases, assess project viability and track benefits realisation. |
Entry route
Project delivery professional
Suitable for someone with experience in developing business cases.
Non-project delivery professional
Suitable for someone with relevant skills from a non-project environment, such as strategy, governance, or a specialist area like economics, commercial, or legal, that contributes to business case development.
Technical competencies
Help with competency levels
None: No knowledge and no experience.
Awareness: Basic knowledge and limited or no experience. You understand how it can be applied. You can describe the benefits and importance. You may have applied it in a low complexity project under supervision or assisted others in delivering it.
Working: Working knowledge and practical experience. You have a good understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in low complexity projects and/or under supervision in more complex projects.
Practitioner: Detailed knowledge and significant experience. You have a deep understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in medium and/or highly complex projects. You advise and may supervise others in the delivery of this competence. You can adapt your approach to meet the requirements of the project.
Expert: Expert knowledge and experience. You are considered an expert within government and in the wider profession. You have applied this competence in multiple complex projects. You have been responsible for developing unique variations to suit specific situations. You champion capability development in this area.
| Competency area | Level |
|---|---|
Budgeting and cost management
The ability to estimate costs, produce a budget and control forecasts and actual spend against budget.
|
Awareness |
Risk and issue management
The ability to systematically identify and monitor risks and issues, planning how to mitigate or respond to those risks and issues and implementing the responses.
|
Awareness |
Business change and implementation
The ability to integrate the solution into operations ensuring that activities are planned and completed to enable the business to implement the change and realise the benefits.
|
Awareness |
Governance
The ability to clearly define roles, responsibilities and accountabilities and establish controls and approval routes appropriate to each stage of the work to monitor progress and compliance.
|
Working |
Stakeholder engagement
The ability to systematically identify, analyse and communicate with stakeholders, using appropriate channels, to ensure all those impacted by the change are engaged, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests.
|
Awareness |
Business case development
The ability to prepare, develop, commission and update business cases to justify the initiation and continuation of projects in terms of benefits, value for money and risk.
|
Working |
Benefits management
The ability to identify, value, plan and track benefits to justify investment and ensure the expected outcomes and social value are realised.
|
Awareness |
Knowledge management
The ability to identify, share and promote best practices and lessons learned to create a culture of learning and good practice that supports continuous improvement to optimise project delivery.
|
Awareness |
Digital and data
The ability to effectively leverage digital tools and data analytics for better project delivery outcomes. Combining an understanding of digital technologies with the ability to manage, interpret and utilise data to make informed decisions, improve efficiency and achieve outcomes and benefits.
|
Working |
Sustainability
The ability to incorporate environmental and social considerations into the strategic objectives of the work and to effectively identify, assess and manage these throughout the lifecycle, seeking to maximise benefits and mitigate negative impacts.
|
Awareness |
Behavioural competencies
Help with competency levels
None: No knowledge and no experience.
Awareness: Basic knowledge and limited or no experience. You understand how it can be applied. You can describe the benefits and importance. You may have applied it in a low complexity project under supervision or assisted others in delivering it.
Working: Working knowledge and practical experience. You have a good understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in low complexity projects and/or under supervision in more complex projects.
Practitioner: Detailed knowledge and significant experience. You have a deep understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in medium and/or highly complex projects. You advise and may supervise others in the delivery of this competence. You can adapt your approach to meet the requirements of the project.
Expert: Expert knowledge and experience. You are considered an expert within government and in the wider profession. You have applied this competence in multiple complex projects. You have been responsible for developing unique variations to suit specific situations. You champion capability development in this area.
| Competency area | Level |
|---|---|
Credible action
The ability to promote the wider public good in all actions and to act in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner at all times. Challenges unacceptable behaviour. Aligned to the leadership Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Collaboration
The ability to establish and develop productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, bringing people together to benefit the project. Aligned to the working together Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Influencing
The ability to influence, change and impact decisions with both internal and external stakeholders. Aligned to the communicating and influencing Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Resilience
The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and adverse situations whilst remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance. Aligned to the delivering at pace Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Innovation
The ability to think of, research and apply new ideas and ways of doing things. Encourages and supports innovations from others, is willing to experiment and follow ideas through to implementation. Aligned to the changing and improving Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Typical qualifications and professional memberships
- APMG Better Business cases Foundation (view details about )
- APM Project Fundamentals (view details about APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ))
- PRINCE 2 Foundation (view details about PRINCE2®)
- Managing Successful Programmes Foundation (view details about Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®): Practitioner)
Job titles for recruitment
This role profile is for a business case manager at EO grade. It could also be advertised as a business case support officer.
Hiring managers should refer to the standardised job titles framework for guidance on which titles to use for recruitment.